Height-adjustable workstation and furniture combination

ABSTRACT

A workstation and furniture combination is provided. The combination is enabled with height adjustability of a top surface and via a concealed power source that also provides concealed charging of electrical devices. Moreover, a dropdown drawer coupled below the display surface of the furniture affords a worksurface for the electrical device when the present invention is in the workstation mode.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims the benefit of priority of U.S. provisional applications number 63/082,341, filed 23 Sep. 2020, and number 63/110,704, filed 6 Nov. 2020, the contents of which are herein incorporated by reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to multipurpose furniture and workstation combination, whereby the display surface of the workstation converts to a height-adjustable working surface and, more particularly, a height adjustable workstation and furniture combination.

In the year after the Covid-19 lockdowns initially took hold, all types of furniture are still being repurposed as a working desk. To that end, people are generally of various heights and sizes and there is not an easy way to adjust the height, depth, and position of living-space furniture (e.g., a coffee table) to work from while sitting on, say, a living room sofa. In other words, there is generally not a workstation that doubles as furniture, whereby the furniture mode conceals electrical powering components and separately provides a height-adjustable work surface to support a laptop computer while sitting on said living room sofa, with or without a power cord plugged into a wall outlet.

For instance, it is difficult to work on a cocktail table that is non-adjustable in height, depth and position without a battery-operated actuator motor. Furthermore, without a power source and pullout drop down drawer as part of the coffee table, it is impossible to conceal, power, store and provide an adjustable work surface for a laptop computer to work on while sitting in seat in a traditional living space, with or without a power cord having to be plugged into a wall outlet.

As can be seen, there is a need for a multipurpose furniture-workstation providing a display surface that changes to and from a working surface via being selectively height adjustable.

By using a battery-operated actuator motor to adjust the height of the display surface of the furniture embodied in the present invention, along with casters hidden under the base of the furniture, a person of various height and size can easily position the coffee table, converting the display surface to an adjustable working surface, to work from while sitting on a living-space seat, such as but not limited to a living room sofa. With a battery built into the furniture and by adding a pullout drop down drawer to the coffee table allows a place to conceal, power, store and provide the adjustable working surface to work on a laptop computer while sitting in a living space, with or without a power cord plugged into a wall outlet.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In one aspect of the present invention, a furniture and workstation combination, the combination includes the following: an upper portion having a top surface defined by a periphery; a dropdown drawer having a tray, wherein the dropdown drawer is configured to be movable between a concealed position subjacent the surface and a protruding position disposing the tray substantially beyond the periphery; a lower portion; one or more lift columns connecting the lower portion to the upper portion; and an actuator operatively associated with the one or more lift columns for selectively adjusting an elevation of the surface relative to the lower portion.

In another aspect of the present invention, the furniture and workstation combination further includes a power source electrically connected to the actuator and a charging port, wherein the power source is concealed in the lower portion; a stretcher interconnecting feet of the lower portion, wherein power source and a charging port are disposed in a lower surface and a side surface of the stretcher; at least one caster in each foot of the feet of the lower portion, wherein each caster is hidden by a caster apron, wherein each lift columns include telescoping portions extending from the lower portion to the upper portion, wherein the dropdown drawer comprising two sidewalls, a front wall, and a rear wall defining a boundary of the tray, wherein the tray is dimensioned to accommodate a laptop computer; a rooster catch connected to one of the two sidewalls; and a rooster latch connected to the front wall so that the front wall is movable between a locked engagement and an unlocked engagement; a pivotable connection between the tray and the front wall for moving the front wall between an upward position and a dropped condition expanding a working surface of the tray; and a cable cutout in the rear wall, wherein the actuator is selectively energized via a control button along the periphery.

These and other features, aspects and advantages of the present invention will become better understood with reference to the following drawings, description and claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, shown in a lowered position.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, shown in a raised position.

FIG. 3 is a bottom perspective view of an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view of an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a section view of an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, taken along line 5-5 in FIG. 1.

FIG. 6 is a section view of an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, taken along line 6-6 in FIG. 1, illustrating a rooster catch 22 dimensioned and adapted to either engage a rooster catch latch 30 or alternative engage an upper surface of a pivotable connection (such as a hinge) in a locked engagement.

FIG. 7 is a section view of an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, taken along line 7-7 in FIG. 1, illustrating the height adjustability through the telescopic association of a plurality of portions of lift columns.

FIG. 8 is a section view of an exemplary embodiment of an end table of the present invention.

FIG. 9 is a section view of an exemplary embodiment of the end table of the present invention, showing the adjustability of its height/elevation.

FIG. 10 is a section view of an exemplary embodiment of a stool of the present invention.

FIG. 11 is a section view of an exemplary embodiment of the stool of the present invention, showing the adjustability of its height/elevation.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The following detailed description is of the best currently contemplated modes of carrying out exemplary embodiments of the invention. The description is not to be taken in a limiting sense, but is made merely for the purpose of illustrating the general principles of the invention, since the scope of the invention is best defined by the appended claims.

The use of directional terms, such as lower (bottom), upper (top) and the like may be understood through the Figures. Specifically, the lower direction is toward the bottom margin of FIG. 1, and the upper direction is toward the upper margin of FIG. 1.

Broadly, an embodiment of the present invention provides a workstation and furniture combination. The combination is enabled with height adjustability of a top surface and via a concealed power source that also provides concealed charging of electrical devices. Moreover, a dropdown drawer coupled below the display surface of the furniture affords a worksurface for the electrical device when the present invention is in the workstation mode.

Referring now to FIGS. 1 through 11, the present invention may include furniture 100 having an upper portion and a lower portion. The upper portion may terminate at a surface 10. The lower portion may include a pedestal 40 with feet 44 for supporting the upper portion along a supporting surface, such as a floor.

The upper portion may be partially defined by a peripheral apron 12 having any geometrical shape or non-geometrical shape other than the rectangular cuboid shape shown in the Figures. The apron 12 may provide a push button control panel 14 for effectuating an adjustment in elevation of the surface 10 relative to the supporting surface and/or enabling wireless connectivity or some other electrical functionality. This electrical functionality may include touch or voice command for effectuating the adjustment in elevation of the surface 10. The upper portion may provide frame elements 16 along or subjacent an underside of the surface 10 for lateral and compressive support. The upper portion may have a bottom enclosing a space circumscribed by the apron 12, or the upper portion may be open as shown in FIG. 3.

The upper portion may provide a space (or a compartment if the upper portion is closed along its bottom) for housing a drawer 20 in a closed position, wherein the drawer 20 is movable between the closed position and an open position protruding beyond the periphery of the apron 12, as illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 3. The drawer 20 has a tray 21 and two sidewalls 23, a front wall 28, and a rear wall. Each sidewall 23 provides a slider 18 or equivalent for facilitating the movement between the open and closed positions. The slider 18 operatively mates with a track connected to an underside and/or framing of the upper portion, as shown in FIG. 3. The slider 18 is typically disposed along an exterior surface of the sidewall 23.

Along an interior surface of the sidewall 23 a rooster catch 26 may be provided, wherein the rooster catch 26 operatively associates with a rooster catch latch 30 disposed along an inner surface of the front wall 28/tray door to effectuate a locked engagement. The rooster catch 26 and the rooster catch latch 30 may disassociate, moving the tray door 28 from the locked engagement to an unlocked engagement, wherein the tray door 28 is movable between a open state and a closed state—by way of a pivotable connection 24—but wherein the locked engagement prevents such movement. A rear wall of the drawer 20 may provide a cable cutout 22. The tray 21 is dimensioned and adapted to provide a working surface for a remote computing device, such as a laptop.

The pedestal 40 and feet 44 of the lower portion may be any geometrical shape or non-geometrical shape in addition to those shown in the Figures. The feet 44 may have casters 46 along a lower surface. The casters 46 may be hidden by a caster apron 47. A stretcher 48 interconnect the feet 44, and the stretcher 48 may provide a compartment for a power source 52, wherein there is a slot 50 provided along an underside of the stretcher 48 for accessing the power source 52. The power source 52 may be supported by brackets 54 and 56. The power source 52 may have an electrical connection 60 to a charger/USB plug box 62, which is accessible for powering remote electrical/computing devices through a port along a side of the stretcher 48, wherein said port may have a cover 64 when the charger plug box 62 is not being used. The power source 52 may be a battery. The power source 52 may also have an electrical connections 58 (in the stretch 48) and 68 (in the actuator 66) to a motorized actuator 66. The motorized actuator 66 may be a linear actuator.

The motorized actuator 66 is operatively associated with one or more lift columns 39 for selectively and cooperatively extending and retracting each lift column 39 between an extended condition and a retracted condition, which in certain embodiments may be telescopically. Each lift column 39 may include a first portion 32, a second portion 34, and a third portion 36 which are telescopically associated with each other. The third portion 36 may connect to a collar 38. The collar 38 may connect to the spaced apart frame elements 16 as illustrated in FIG. 3, making the third portion 36 the upper most portion of the lift column 39, and wherein the first portion 32 is the lowest portion and coupled to the pedestal 40. The collar 38 may define an opening 42 communicating to a void of the lift column within which the actuator 66 may be housed (and installed into during manufacture).

The first portion 32, the second portion 34, and the third portion 36 may be telescopically associated for facilitating the movement between the extended condition and the retracted conditions, whereby the elevation of the surface 10 above the supporting surface of the furniture can be selectively adjusted for different users and/or different uses. For instance, as a coffee table, the surface 10 of the furniture 100 may be for used for display of conversational pieces or supporting dishes. When a workstation is needed, the user may first move the furniture 100 along the supporting surface by way of the casters 46. Then the use may convert the furniture 100 to a workstation where the surface 10 is part of a larger a working surface that includes the tray 21 of the dropdown drawer 20, wherein the tray 21 supports a computing device. The elevation of the surface 10 and thus the tray 21 relative to supporting surface is selectively adjustable by way of the actuator 66. Thus the working surface is comfortable from a nearby seat, which may be optimally designed as a love seat, as the present invention's workstation mode hides in plain site in living spaces, such as living rooms. The computing device need to extend its power cord to a wall socket, but rather may charge through the charger plug box 62. A user may add cavity to house a monitor that is hidden inside the base.

The furniture 100 may include an end table, a stool, or the like.

It should be understood, of course, that the foregoing relates to exemplary embodiments of the invention and that modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the following claims. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A furniture and workstation combination, the combination comprising: an upper portion having a top surface defined by a periphery; a dropdown drawer having a tray, wherein the dropdown drawer is configured to be movable between a concealed position subjacent the surface and a protruding position disposing the tray substantially beyond the periphery; a lower portion; one or more lift columns connecting the lower portion to the upper portion; and an actuator operatively associated with the one or more lift columns for selectively adjusting an elevation of the surface relative to the lower portion.
 2. The combination of claim 1, further comprising: a power source electrically connected to the actuator and a charging port, wherein the power source is concealed in the lower portion.
 3. The combination of claim 2, further comprising a stretcher interconnecting feet of the lower portion, wherein power source and a charging port are disposed in a lower surface and a side surface of the stretcher.
 4. The combination of claim 3, further comprising at least one caster in each foot of the feet of the lower portion, wherein each caster is hidden by a caster apron.
 5. The combination of claim 4, wherein each lift columns include telescoping portions extending from the lower portion to the upper portion.
 6. The combination of claim 5, wherein the dropdown drawer comprising two sidewalls, a front wall, and a rear wall defining a boundary of the tray, wherein the tray is dimensioned to accommodate a laptop computer.
 7. The combination of claim 6, further comprising a rooster catch connected to one of the two sidewalls; and a rooster latch connected to the front wall so that the front wall is movable between a locked engagement and an unlocked engagement.
 8. The combination of claim 7, further comprising a pivotable connection between the tray and the front wall for moving the front wall between an upward position and a dropped condition expanding a working surface of the tray.
 9. The combination of claim 8, further comprising a cable cutout in the rear wall.
 10. The combination of claim 9, wherein the actuator is selectively energized via a control button along the periphery. 